What does this terminology from the autopsy report mean?

Question

Lungs-sections demonstrate marked pulmonary edema with extensive pulmonary vascular congestion. There are mixed inflammatory cells within alveolar air spaces. There is anthracosis.

Spleen-congestion of the sinusoids

HEART- Sections demostrate scattered hypertrophic myocyte nuclei and mild interstitial fibrosis

pancreas- autolysis

LIVER-sections demonstrate mild congestion and moderate microvesicular steatosis

COLON-Autolysis

Kidney- Autolysis

A. High levels of cocaine and morphine

B. Pulmonary congestion

C. Hepatic congestion and steatosis

* I understand what some of these things mean that it was a drug overdose, but I wanna know some of the medical terminology, like "steatosis" means. This is my brother's.

Answer 1

anthracosis is black matter in the lungs--usually from smoking

steatosis is fat--fatty liver is often seen in people who are even mildly over weight

Autolysis means the organ had started to break down from the inside--most likely from low blood flow.

The heart information does not mention damage from a heart attack (which is how cocaine usually kills) so it looks like the morphine( or heroin) killed him. Heroin is metabolized into morphine in the blood stream. It slows down your breathing, and your oxygen level drops too low.

Another complication of morphine is sudden pulmonary edema--the lungs just suddenly leak fluid and the person "drowns" in their own secretions. From what you've posted, it's hard to say which complication happened, because pulmonary edema can also develop when the lungs aren't getting enough oxygen.

I'm sorry for your loss.

Answer 2

"Lungs-sections demonstrate marked pulmonary edema with extensive pulmonary vascular congestion. There are mixed inflammatory cells within alveolar air spaces. There is anthracosis."

Pulmonary edema means accumulation of fluid in lung spaces; the most common causes are elevated blood pressure, and inflammatory changes to the tissues.  Vascular congestion means blood collecting in the blood vessels - this can reflect increased resistance to flow, decreased heart function, or simply pooling after death - although it suggest death was not immediate.  Mixed inflammatory cells simply suggest some source of irritation.  Anthracosis means sooty particles in the lungs.  Overall, the findings suggest the deceased was a smoker.

"Spleen-congestion of the sinusoids"

Again, this means blood pooled in the spaces within the spleen; this suggests a period of reduced efficiency of blood flow.

"HEART- Sections demonstrate scattered hypertrophic myocyte nuclei and mild interstitial fibrosis"

These suggest prolonged strain on the heart with secondary tissue changes.  Myocytes are muscle fibers and hypertrophic means larger than usual; so the heart was trying to add more power to meet demands.  Fibrosis is a sign of inflammation or damage, possibly even a heart attack at some point.

"pancreas- autolysis"

Autolysis is natural degradation at the cellular level following death.

"LIVER-sections demonstrate mild congestion and moderate microvesicular steatosis"

Again, congestion just means blood accumulated in the blood vessels.  Steatosis is a type of cellular damage associated with accumulated fat in the cells; it is associated with a number of metabolic disorders, as diverse as diabetes and prolonged protein deficiency.

"COLON-Autolysis

Kidney- Autolysis"

Again, this just means the cells are degenerated; it does not suggest any specific pathology.

Overall, the tissue findings do not specifically indicate a drug overdose; that comes from the specific drug levels.  At least some of the congestion of blood vessels may reflect a gradual slowdown of heart and lung function from the morphine; but the other changes suggest ongoing irritation of those tissues.  The autopsy indicates a period of ongoing heart and lung damage, as well as metabolic changes.